Pitt Basketball Recruiting Update

By Brian Batko

There wasn't a whole lot to glean from the Hoop Group's Pittsburgh Jam Fest held at North Hills High School and other western PA sites this past weekend, as most of Pitt's presumably top recruiting targets for 2013 (Beejay Anya, Mike Young, Jaren Sina, recently offered Tony Farmer) were playing in the Nike EYBL event in Minnesota.  But there were still plenty of good teams and players in Pittsburgh, including some that either have offers or interest from the Panthers: 

Savon Goodman (6-6 F, Constitution HS/Philadelphia, 2012, New Rens 17U)

True story: Two years ago, I watched Amile Jefferson and Savon Goodman play on a really good Team Philly 16 and under AAU team and came away more impressed by Goodman.  Jefferson turned out to be a McDonald’s All-American and is still mulling over a commitment to either Duke, Ohio State, Villanova, and Kentucky.  Goodman, on the other hand, has had just as long a recruiting saga as Jefferson but it’s one that doesn’t seem to be making much progress.

Without a doubt the biggest name Pitt is still actively recruiting for the 2012 class, Goodman isn’t even sure if he wants to remain in 2012, saying that prep school is still an option.  On the court this past weekend at the Hoop Group’s Pittsburgh Jam Fest, Goodman was largely unimpressive, especially for a guy that - unlike most of his teammates and opponents on Saturday – could be playing college ball seven months from now. 

While Pitt fans and presumably the coaching staff have visions of Goodman playing the four spot – perhaps their biggest area of weakness - if he were to become a Panther, he didn’t show much of the necessary tools for that.  Playing Goodman at the four in a college game next year would essentially just be throwing him out on the court based on talent alone and telling him to be aggressive, try to get rebounds, and attack the rim.  Which is fine, I’m just not sure if that’s something worth over-recruiting for this late in the process.  He’s very much still an extremely talented and explosive player, but people should be cautious in labeling him as an elite or can’t-miss prospect. 

It also sounds like Goodman has little idea of what he wants to do recruiting-wise, which would lead one to believe that a 5^th year for him looks more and more like a possibility.  He didn’t really single out any of the schools recruiting him other than mentioning them (Pitt, UCLA, Temple, St. John’s), but did bring up Kentucky on his own.  It’s no secret that just about any recruit would love to hear from Kentucky, but in Goodman’s case, it would seem that he would be more focused on the schools that actually are coming at him for 2012.  Just a strange recruitment overall and one that could seemingly never end and move along at a very slow pace.

Kaza Keane (6-1 G, Christian Faith Center, 2012, Grassroots Canada 18U)

One of a few players, along with Goodman, that is still on Pitt’s radar for 2012, Keane did imply the Panthers seemed to be backing off of him a little bit.  Matt Steinbrink of PantherLair.com reported that Keane was on campus for an unofficial visit Monday but the 6-1 Canadian point man said Pitt hasn’t been recruiting him as hard as they once were though they are still keeping in contact with his brother.  Keane said everything is “going well” for him as a class of 2012 recruit and that he doesn’t envision himself reverting back to his original class of 2013.  He’s still very high on Pitt but also seemed to be fond of Rhode Island, who he said have been watching him a lot recently.

As for his game, Keane does seem more suited to be an A-10 player than a Big East recruit.  He’s fast and has decent size for a point guard, but his decision making skills still need improving.  Keane tends to overpenetrate at times and end up turning the ball over either on a travel or errant pass.  His outside shot isn’t bad but he doesn’t appear to be much of a scorer and pretty much needs the ball to be effective.  He played with the Canadian Grassroots team in the open division (18 and under) in Pittsburgh this past weekend.  

Kris Jenkins (6-5 F/G, Gonzaga/Washington D.C., 2013, DC Assault Gold 17U)

Jenkins had an OK weekend in Pittsburgh, not doing anything to hurt his stock or particularly help it.  He knocked down outside shots, as he’s known to do, but concerns remain about the weight and conditioning of the 6-5 wing player.  Helping lead his DC Assault squad to the semifinals, Jenkins isn’t exactly unathletic but outside of his shooting, he does have to work on the rest of his game, as he didn’t show much of a propensity for getting to the basket or scoring a whole lot inside.  He has a number of Big East and ACC schools after him thanks to a breakout high school season and no recruiting visits planned yet so it’s tough to tell where Pitt stands with him until he starts to narrow his recruitment down a little bit.

Rysheed Jordan (6-3 G, Vaux Roberts/Philadelphia, 2013, Philly Pride 17U)

Considered to be an elite 2013 guard, Jordan didn’t exactly look the part this weekend but obviously he’s built his reputation on much more than just a couple games.  He’s strong, athletic, and quick while also able to finish at the rim.  The Philadelphia native, Jordan did not cite Pitt as one of his schools of interest but he has practically everyone after him – mentioning Syracuse and Kansas, among others.  Jamie Dixon watched him play Saturday night, as did Nasir Robinson and Ashton Gibbs.  Robinson’s younger brother Darius is a 2013 guard that suits up for Philly Pride alongside Jordan.

Terrence Samuel (6-3 G, South Shore/Brooklyn, 2013, New Rens 17U)

Not a lot to say here about Samuel, as he didn’t show any more or less of a floor game than he’s known for.  A combo guard who doesn’t have great floor general skills but also lacks elite shooting guard tools, Goodman's AAU teammate is a nice player but not a top-notch 2013 prospect.  The Brooklyn native mentioned interest from Pitt and said he likes the program but that it’s a little far from home.  Ironically, he sounded very high on Iowa State and new head coach Fred Hoiberg, who could be the ones to beat for his services and watched his final game of the weekend in-person. 

Sam Singer (6-5 G, Ransom Everglades/Miami, 2013, Gold Coast 17U)

A 6-5 guard who can play the two and probably even the one as well, Singer said Dixon called him last week to say he would be coming to watch him over the weekend at the Jam Fest and was interested to see him play.  However, it would seem that the interest from Pitt at this point is nothing beyond Dixon having ties to Singer’s family, many of whom live in the Squirrel Hill area of Pittsburgh.  Singer is very strong academically and has seen his recruitment skyrocket in the last few months but I wouldn’t consider Pitt highly involved at all at this point.

Anthony Dallier (6-6 G/F, Northfield Mt. Hermon, 2013, Ohio Basketball Club 17U)

Similarly to Singer, Dallier is a player that won’t blow anyone away with his athleticism but has an extremely high basketball IQ and knows how to play. He’s also a player with local ties, attending North Allegheny High School until transferring to Northfield Mt. Hermon – a top prep school in Massachusetts – before last year and reclassifying to 2013. Dallier, a 6-6 wing, said Pitt called him and came to see him at an open gym but again, at this point, Dixon is likely just following up on a talented local kid who he’s familiar with.

Major Canady (6-3 G, Kiski Prep, 2013, Ohio Basketball Club 17U)

Yet another player with ties to Pittsburgh – Canady is originally from North Carolina but attends Kiski Prep about an hour from Pittsburgh – Canady is one whose interest from Pitt might be a little more serious.  Canady is a very strong but athletic player who is more of a point guard but has the size (6-3) to play off the ball is well.  Offensively, his game is very unpolished, as he typically just tries to bull his way to the hoop, but on the other end he is nothing short of a lockdown defender.  The statistics at Maxpreps.com indicate that Canady averaged (!) a quadruple-double this past high school season, which is rather comical, but he does get a lot of steals and is somewhat adept at dropping the ball off to teammates for scoring opportunities once he gets into the lane.

Canady said he was surprised when Jamie Dixon called but noticed the Pitt coach had watched a couple of his games this weekend.  He’d like to commit by the end of this live period in July (which doesn’t mean all that much since no recruit says they plan on waiting until May of their senior year) and said he’ll be visiting Pitt in the near future.  He supposedly likes Pitt a lot, and plays nearby, so if the interest picks up on the other end, this could be a recruitment to watch. 

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In case you were wondering about how some of the 2013 prospects fared in Minnesota this weekend, here's a rundown based on stats from the official Nike EYBL website: 

Note: All EYBL teams played 4 games

Beejay Anya (6-8 C, DeMatha Catholic, Team Takeover)

25 MPG, 43% FG (12-28), 61% FT (17-28), 10.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.8 BPG

Mike Young (6-9 F, Hudson Catholic, NJ Playaz)

28 MPG, 56% FG (15-27)  65% FT (15-23), 11.5 PPG, 7 RPG

Jaren Sina (6-1 G, Gill St. Bernard's, Team Final)

26 MPG, 36% FG (13-36), 42% 3FG (10-24), 9 PPG, 4.5 APG

Tony Farmer (6-7 F, Garfield Heights, All Ohio Red)

25 MPG, 23% FG (9-40), 78% FT (7-9), 6.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG

Some Thoughts And Stats From Final Day Of Pittsburgh Jamfest

By Brian Batko

The Pittsburgh Jamfest wrapped up on Sunday and it was a much less eventful day in terms of Pitt's 2012 targets. Amile Jefferson and his Philly's Finest team and Nkereuwem Okoro and his Long Island Lightning squad both got knocked out of the playoffs on Saturday night, leaving Myles Davis as the only 2012 player that is high on Pitt's radar left in the tournament.

Davis and the New Jersey Playaz took on Team Loaded at the Petersen Events Center at 11:00 A.M. in the quarterfinals. In this one, Davis got off to a much better start than he did in the Saturday games, tallying 13 points by halftime. But it was the second half that Davis really started going to work.

Any time the Playaz needed some points or a big shot to stay in the game, Davis delivered. He nailed a three on the break to cut Team Loaded's lead to six and on the next possession got fouled on a shot from behind the arc and made all three free throws. Davis struggled with his jumper most of the weekend but when he got hot, he took advantage, as did his teammates, who made sure to look for him in transition.

He finished with 32 points on 8-15 shooting, 5-11 from three, and a perfect 11-11 from the charity stripe, but it wasn't enough for the Playaz as they lost to Team Loaded, who eventually went on to make the finals, 77-67.

But Davis wasn't the only guy Pitt is involved with that was having success on Sunday. Youngster Austin Colbert, a 2013 forward ranked #14 in his class by ESPN, was a key cog in Team Final's run to the championship of the 16 and under gold bracket.

The 6'9" sophomore struggled in the quarterfinal game, scoring only 5 points on 2-6 shooting, but he was able to get it going in the semis against Garner Road Elite (NC). Colbert posted 16 points in a win for Team Final to advance to the championship game.

Colbert, who plays for New Jersey powerhouse St. Patrick's during the regular season, showed off a beautiful face-up game against Canada's CIA Bounce and the 7'3" Tanveer Bhullar. He only scored 11 points but they didn't come off of put backs or right-place-right-time opportunities. Colbert looked very natural hitting shots from 10-15 feet away from the hoop and even handling the ball on the perimeter, which is intriguing for a player of his age and size.

The final stat line for Colbert in the 65-61 Team Final victory: 11 points, 4-7 FG (4-6, 0-1), 3-3 FT, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 1 turnover.

Lastly, some final thoughts on each player.

Amile Jefferson: One of the best players I saw all weekend. Extremely skilled but not necessarily a finesse player. Has no problem banging under the hoop with players much bigger and stronger than him. However, he does need to add some muscle and strength to his wiry thin frame. Didn't connect on many shots from the outside but his form isn't bad, so with some repetition he may be able to become a more consistent shooter. Really likes to run the floor, is pretty strong with the ball despite being so skinny, and is a decent ball handler and passer. On the defensive end, he uses his excellent length to contest and alter shots. He tends to complain to the refs a little too much, but all in all, he's a pretty smart player who lets the game come to him and doesn't try to do too much.

Nkereuwem Okoro: If he can improve his ball handling and jump shot, he could be a nightmare to guard. He's already tough to stop when he wants to go to the basket, but occasionally he gets carried away picks up charges. I think he projects to a slightly undersized three man at the college level who plays bigger than he is and can body up taller, less physical players. Okoro would fit right in with the Pitt teams of the Howland/Dixon era. I would've liked to see a little more production out of him this weekend but, in his defense, AAU basketball is a bit of a double-edged sword in that you want to see a kid be aggressive but you also don't want him to force things and chuck up shots in an attempt to look better for scouts and coaches.

Myles Davis: Certainly has a game very similar to Ashton Gibbs, who also played for the Playaz and is friends with Davis. What impressed me is that even though his three pointers weren't falling for much of the weekend, he still found ways to put points on the board against great competition. I was wondering if he would still be able to make an impact without making outside jumpers, and at times he did seem content to wait for his teammates to get him an open look, but for the most part he didn't hesitate to try to drive the lane and either score inside or get to the line. Davis didn't show a whole lot of playmaking ability, which he'll have to improve on if he wants to be a point guard at the next level like he says. He also has to work on his physique so that he can hopefully increase his lateral quickness which will help him penetrate more and play better on-ball defense.

Austin Colbert: Still two years away from the next level but it's no wonder why he's such a highly rated prospect. Coaches and scouts love guys with his height and skill set. He looked very comfortable away from the basket but needs to work on his post game since he'll probably be a four man in college. Runs the floor like a guard and showed some nifty passing ability out of the high and low post, but adding strength and bulk needs to be the number 1 priority for this intriguing prospect going forward.

Saturday Pittsburgh Jamfest Update

By Brian Batko

The three 2012 prospects that Pitt is taking a long, hard look at took the floor again on Saturday at the Hoop Group's Pittsburgh Jam Fest. Amile Jefferson (6'7" F), Myles Davis (6'1" G), and Nkereuwem Okoro (6'4" G/F) all had fairly productive days for their respective AAU clubs.

On Saturday, Jefferson pretty much picked up where he left off Friday night, going for 21 points in a 59-41 win over the Riverside Hawks for Philly's Finest to win their pool.

Okoro (whose first name is pronounced 'Kuro-wem') and his Long Island Lightning teammates had the pleasure of kicking off the all the Saturday games with an 8:30 A.M. bout with the Mitchellville Trailblazers (MD) at the Fitzgerald Field House. Both teams were pretty sluggish, which can probably be attributed to the early start time, and Okoro only managed to score 7 points on 3-7 shooting (1-2 from the free throw line). But Okoro has a reputation for being a tenacious player that always gives 100% when he steps on the floor and he didn't disappoint in that regard.

The Bronx native, who plays his high school ball for St. Raymond's, pulled down 6 rebounds and attacked the basket with fury, helping the Lightning to a 51-43 victory.

"We had a hectic car drive over here, didn't get that much sleep and we started slow but I'm just glad we got the W and we'll get ready for the next game," Okoro said.

The next game was a 59-48 victory over All-Ohio Gold, resulting in a trip to the gold bracket for the Lightning.

In the first round of the playoffs, Okoro paced the Lightning with 17 points in an easy win over the Raritan Roundballers Gold (NJ). The 6'4" swingman certainly has the look of a typical Pitt player in that he's physical, hard-nosed, and isn't afraid of contact despite being a bit undersized.

Okoro, who has scholarship offers from Arizona, Seton Hall, Iowa State, and most recently Texas A&M, said Pitt has yet to offer him but is recruiting him hard.

"Coach Dixon came to see me [work out], Brandin Knight came again the week after that, I love the coaches," he said.

The Lightning's run ended in the second round at the hands of Team Loaded (VA).

Myles Davis and his New Jersey Playaz squad, though, is still alive in the gold bracket thanks to victories over East Coast Fusion (NY), the Ohio Hoopsters, East Coast Elite (DE), and the PA Playaz.

Davis, who is known for being an elite three point shooter, was struggling with his shot today but managed to contribute in other ways. Utilizing some crafty offensive moves and a couple pull-up jumpers, the 6'1" guard out of Notre Dame Prep scored 16 points (6-14 FG, 1-6 3pt. FG, 3-3 FT) in the 71-54 win over East Coast Fusion.

The sharpshooter, who was formerly a member of the 2011 class, was a bit more efficient but didn't make as much of an impact in the Playaz' first playoff game against East Coast Elite. He finished 5-10 from the field (0-3 from beyond the arc), tallying 11 points along with 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals. His outside shot just wouldn't fall and he really seemed to be frustrated by it, disappearing at times on the floor.

Davis plays mostly off the ball with the Playaz, who have the highly touted 6'8" point guard prospect Kyle Anderson, but said he sees himself as a scoring point guard in college. PSN caught up with him after the game against East Coast Fusion and here's what he had to say:

Myles Davis on Pitt...

"They're not the favorite [for me] but Pitt's always gonna be there just because they've done a lot for me, they've always been there and because of Brandin [Knight]."

On playing on Pitt's campus for the Jamfest...

"When I come here I imagine it, kind of, if I could see myself playing here for the next four years and just see how things are."

On a possible timetable for his college decision...

"I'm just trying to take my time with it. I think I'm gonna decide around the first signing period, which is around my birthday in November, so I think that's when I'll decide."

On what he's focusing on this summer to improve...

"Right now just eating right, my athleticism, my strength, and my speed. That's what I know I need to work on because I know I'm not gonna play two-guard in college and even if I do make it further than that, I'm not gonna play the two so I know I have to be a scoring point guard. But I gotta work on everything."

On being labeled as strictly a shooter...

"I would just say watch me play the next game and I'll show you. I prove people wrong when they say 'he's just a shooter, he's just a shooter.' No, I can play the one, I can pass the ball, I can get rebounds if you really need me to. I'll do whatever it takes. So to just label me as a shooter, I take that as offensive. I guess I just have to prove everybody wrong."

On the role he sees himself playing in college...

"I see myself as a combo, not necessarily just a point guard...basically someone like Ashton [Gibbs]."

Davis and the New Jersey Playaz will take on Team Loaded in a quarterfinal match-up Sunday morning at 11:00 A.M at the Petersen Events Center.